Tuesday, December 18, 2012

"2008 Investment Guides Are HILARIOUS"

Thanks to a somewhat jaded reader.

I thought it would be tough to top Fortune's August 14, 2000 article "10 Stocks To Last The Decade A few major trends will likely shape the next ten years. Here's a buy-and-forget portfolio to capitalize on them.":
...That means there's a huge market opportunity for companies that can cut through the clutter and actually make life (and business) easier. Who's positioned best? As we see it, four companies: Nokia (NOK: $54), Nortel Networks (NT: $77), Enron (ENE: $73), and Oracle (ORCL: $74). True, these four have entirely different businesses--wireless handsets, telecom equipment, broadband connections, and software--but all offer what are essentially supermarkets of products, which should help them overwhelm less diversified competitors....
Or the New York Time's February 20, 2000 "BUSINESS; 10 Stocks for 2010: Buy-and-Hold Picks From Top Investors":
DAY traders and momentum investors probably won't be interested in this article.Because what we're talking about here is looooong-term investing....
From The Big Picture:
Via New York Magazine, comes this amusing collection of bad forecasts for the 2008 year:

• Jon Birger, senior writer, Fortune Investors Guide 2008
Smart investors should buy [Merrill Lynch] stock before everyone else comes to their senses.”
Merrill’s shares plummeted 77 percent.

• Elaine Garzarelli, president of Garzarelli Capital, Business Week’s Investment Outlook 2008
Buy some of the most beaten-down stocks, including those of giant financial institutions such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch.
As of January 1, none of these firms will still exist.

• Sarah Ketterer, CEO of Causeway Capital Management, Fortune Investors Guide 2008
“Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been pummeled. Our stress-test analysis indicates those stocks are at bargain basement prices.”
Fannie and Freddie had lost 90 percent of their value.
...MORE